Our Vision: A Larimer County where all children and youth have everything they need to thrive

At United Way of Larimer County, we believe every child, youth, and family deserves the opportunity to thrive.

Imagine a community where every child has the support they need to succeed in school, families build lasting financial stability, and access to opportunity is no longer limited by the systems of the past. We are committed to making this vision a reality by dismantling barriers and supporting the success of children, youth, and families.

Together, we can build an equitable, thriving future—but we can’t do it without you.

Our Impact

In our 2023-24 fiscal year, United Way of Larimer County invested a record $10 million into programs that support children, families, and individuals across our community, bringing meaningful change where it matters most. Here are just a few examples of how your support makes a difference:

• Child Care: When Dallas Brown, a single mother of two, lost her prior child care funding, she faced an uncertain future. Thanks to the WomenGive scholarship through United Way of Larimer County, her daughters, now aged three and five, were able to stay at the center Dallas carefully chose. Learn more about WomenGive.
  “It was a lifesaver. The center my children are at now wouldn’t have been accessible to us without WomenGive.” — Dallas Brown, WomenGive scholarship recipient
• Early Literacy: One student began the school year struggling with letter sounds and a speech delay. After receiving tutoring funded by United Way of Larimer County, she not only mastered her letter sounds but exceeded her benchmarks, advancing to the next level before Winter Break.
  “She put in the focus and hard work to learn all her letter sounds with proficiency, allowing her to exit on her own merit before Winter Break.” — Colorado Reading Corps Tutor, Berthoud Elementary
• Family Financial Stability: United Way granted over $120,000 to support students across all three Larimer County school districts, including a family with school-aged children who had been living in their car. The Poudre School District Foundation used a portion of our grant to cover the remaining balance of the family’s deposit and first and last month’s rent. Thanks to this support, the children now have a stable, safe place to call home.
• Nonprofit Capacity Support: United Way subsidizes rent, training, and shared resources for 12 nonprofits at the Community Impact Center in Fort Collins, partnering with organizations that focus on mental health, immigration, LGBTQ youth, employment support, and more.
  “That operations support is so pivotal to organizations like ours. Without the space and logistics support, we might not have made it, frankly, because we would have gotten burnt out.” — Silen Wellington, Co-Founder of Yarrow Collective (Community Impact Center Partner)
• Funding for Nonprofits: As the regional Nonprofit Infrastructure Grant liaison for the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, we distributed $3.7 million in federal funding to support nonprofits across the Northern Front Range. One grant recipient, FoCo Café, tripled its meal exchanges from 300 to over 800 meals each month.
  “This grant was truly the first step in saving FoCo Café. It came at just the right time for us.” — Executive Director of FoCo Café
• Enhancing Child Food Security: As Larimer County’s 211 liaison, we connect families to essential resources. Recently, a father of five reached out for help applying for food assistance. With guidance from 211 resource navigators, he successfully submitted his benefits application, taking a crucial step toward food security for his children.